The invention relates generally to a computer system comprised of a computing system and a human interface and, more particularly, to a computer system configured such that the human interface thereof is remotely located relative to the computing system.
The components of all computer systems, including personal computers (or xe2x80x9cPCsxe2x80x9d), minicomputers, mainframe computers and mainframes, may be divided into two functional unitsxe2x80x94the computing system and the human interface to the computing system For a PC, the computing system is, very simply, the chassis which holds the motherboard, power supply, hard drive and the like. The human interface, on the other hand, are those devices that humans used to transfer information to and/or receive information from the computing system. The most commonly recognized devices which form part of the human interface with the computing system include the monitor, keyboard, mouse and printer. Of course, a variety of other devices, for example, a joystick, trackball, touchpad or others too numerous to specifically mention, may form part of the human interface.
Traditionally, the human interface and the computing system have been located in proximity to each other, particularly when the computing system is a PC, desktop or other type of physically compact computer. For example, many workstations now include a computer monitor and mouse resting on the desktop while the chassis holding the computing system rests on the floor underneath the desktop. However, there are a number of concerns raised by placing the computing system and the human interface in such close proximity in the workplace. Many of these concerns relate to security. Business contacts, vendor information, contracts, reports, compilations, proprietary software, access codes, protocols, correspondence, account records, business plans are just some of the fundamental assets of a company which are oftentimes accessible from an employee""s computer where it can be quickly copied onto a floppy disk and stolen.
Disk and CD drives may also be used to introduce illegal, inappropriate or dangerous software to a computer. Storing bootlegged software can expose a company to copyright infringement claims. Computer games often reduce employee productivity. If imported onto a computer system, computer pornography may create a hostile work environment which leads to a sexual discrimination lawsuit against the company. Computer viruses can cause the loss of critical information stored on a computer. Finally, the computing system itself may be damaged or otherwise misconfigured when left accessible to technically oriented employees who take it upon themselves to attempt to repair and/or modify the computer system.
Another concern often raised in connection with the present practice of placing the computer system at the desktop is that such workstation designs actual work against proper maintenance of the computing system. When placed underneath the desktop, computing systems are often forced to absorb physical shocks when accidentally kicked, knocked over or struck by falling objects, any of which could result in damage to various electronic components, located within the chassis, which comprises the computing system. Oftentimes, a computing system is placed in a xe2x80x9cconvenientxe2x80x9d location and not in a location designed to keep it cool. A computer system typically includes a cyclonic fan designed to direct a constant flow of cooling area at the heat-generating components of the computing system. However, if a barrier is placed a few inches in front of the fan intake, the efficiency of the fan is reduced dramatically. Similarly, placing the computer system against a wall or running cables in front of the fan adversely affects the ability of the fan to properly cool the computing system. Finally, even in relatively clean office environments, the fan tends to draw in dirt and other dust particles into the interior of the computer chassis where they are deposited on the heat-generating electronic components which comprise the computing system. As dust tends to insulate the components on which it is deposited, the ability of such components to dissipate heat becomes degraded when a layer of dust collects on the component.
Logistical support, too, becomes a vexing problem for computer-intensive organizations when computing systems are scattered throughout a facility. When machine failures occur, the repair person must go to the machine to diagnose and repair the machine. Oftentimes, this entails multiple visits to the machine""s location, particularly when the first examination reveals that replacement parts or a replacement machine are needed. Similarly, software upgrades and other performance checks become quite time-consuming tasks when personnel must travel to each machine where the software resides locally.
Finally, many office buildings were designed before the advent of the age of the PC. As a single PC can consume over 300 watts of power, a heavily computerized workplace could potentially demand power in excess of the amount available. Similarly, the heat generated by the large number of computers installed in modern workplaces can easily overwhelm the air conditioning capacity of a building""s HVAC system, thereby causing room temperatures to rise above those levels preferred by the occupants of the building.
These and other problems may be solved if the computing systems could be physically separated from the human interfaces, specifically, by keeping the human interfaces (monitor, keyboard, mouse and printer) at respective workstations while relocating the chassis holding the motherboard, power supply, memory, drives, etc. to a secured computer room. By securing the computing systems in one room, the employer""s control over the computer systems would be greatly enhanced. For example, since employees would no longer have personal access, through the disk or CD drive, to the memory subsystem, employees could not surreptitiously remove information from the computer system. Nor could the employee independently load software or other data files onto the computer. Similarly, the employee could no longer physically change settings or otherwise modify the hardware portion of the computer. Maintenance would be greatly facilitated by placement of all of the computing systems in a common room. For example, the repair technicians and their equipment could be stationed in the same room with all of the computing systems. Thus, a technician could replace failed components or even swap out the entire unit without making repeated trips to the location of the malfunction machine. Such a room could be provided with special HVAC and power systems to ensure that the room is kept clean, cool and fully powered.
While lengthening the cables which couple the human interface to the computing system may, at first blush, appear to be a solution to this problem, such a solution is not feasible. In order to transfer video signals to the monitor will require 3 coaxial cables while, to transfer the remaining data/control signals between the computing system and the human interface could require as many as ten additional wires. Furthermore, as the distance between the human interface and the computing system is increased, the requisite size of the cables increases. Not only would such a bundle of cables be unwieldy, it would be prohibitively expensive to install, particularly if one wanted to place large numbers of computing systems in the controlled access room.
Therefore, what is needed is a computer configured such that a human interface portion thereof may be remotely located relative to a computing system portion thereof and in which the cabling requirements for remotely locating the human interface are minimal.
In one embodiment, the present invention of a computer comprised of a computing system positioned at a first location and a human interface positioned at a second location remotely located relative to the first location. A 4-wire cable couples first and second interface devices which, in turn, are respectively coupled to the computing system and the human interface. The first interface device converts signals generated by the computing system into a format suitable for transmission to the second interface device while the second interface device converts signals, received from the first interface device into a format suitable for transmission to the human interface. In alternate aspects thereof, the computing system may be a computer chassis and at least one computing system component housed therein and coupled to the first interface device and the human interface may be a video monitor coupled to the second interface device. The human interface may also include a printer, keyboard or mouse, also coupled to the second interface device.
In another embodiment, the present invention is of a computer comprised of a computing system positioned at a first location and a human interface, which includes a video monitor and at least one I/O device, positioned at a second location remotely located relative to the first location. The computer further includes a first encoder coupled to the computer system, a first decoder coupled to the video monitor and the at least one I/O device and a transmission line which couples the encoder to the decoder. The first encoder receives, from the computing system, a video signal to be transmitted to the video monitor and a non-video signal to be transmitted to the at least one I/O device. The first encoder combines the video and the non-video signals into a combined signal and transmits the combined signal to the first decoder via the transmission line. The first decoder receives the combined signal, separates the video and non-video signals therefrom for respective propagation to the video monitor and the at least one I/O device.
In one aspect thereof, the computer may further include a second encoder coupled to the computing system and the first encoder and a second decoder coupled to the first decoder and the I/O devices. The second encoder receives a first non-video signal to be transmitted to a first I/O device, a second non-video signal to be transmitted to a second I/O device and a third non-video signal to be transmitted to a third I/O device and combines the first, second and third non-video signals into the non-video signal. The second decoder receives the non-video signal from the first decoder and separates the first, second and third non-video signals therefrom for respective propagation to the first, second and third I/O devices. In a further aspect thereof, the first I/O device may be a keyboard, the second I/O device may be a mouse and the third I/O device may be a printer. In another, the first encoder may receive red (xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d), green (xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d), blue (xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d), horizontal synchronization (xe2x80x9cHSYNCxe2x80x9d) and vertical synchronization (xe2x80x9cVSYNCxe2x80x9d) video signals from the computing system, combine the R and HSYNC video signals into a combined signal for transmission to the first decoder, combine the B and VSYNC video signals into another combined signal for transmission to the first decoder and combine the G video signal and the non-video signal into the last combined signal for transmission to the first decoder. The HSYNC and VSYNC video signals may also be used by the second encoder to time the combination of the first, second and third non-video signals into the non-video signal and by the second decoder to time the separation of the non-video signal into the first, second and third non-video signals.
In still another embodiment, the present invention is of a computer which comprises a computing system located at a first location, a human interface located at a second location, remotely located relative to the first location, a first interface device coupled to the computing system, a second interface device coupled to a monitor and an I/O device of the human interface and a 4-wire cable coupling the first and second interface devices. An encoding circuit of the first interface device receives, from the computing system, plural video signals to be transmitted to the video monitor and a non-video output signal to be transmitted to the I/O device. The encoding circuit combines the non-video signal with a selected one of the plural video signals to produce a combined signal and transmits the combined signal over a selected pair of the transmission lines of the 4-wire cable. A decoding circuit of the second interface device receives the combined signal from the first interface device and separates the combined signal into the video signal to be transmitted to the video monitor and the non-video signal to be transmitted to the I/O device.
In one aspect thereof, an encoding circuit of the second interface device receives a non-video input signal from the I/O device and encodes the received signal for output onto a selected pair of the transmission lines for transfer to the first interface device. In another aspect thereof, a decoding circuit of the first interface device receives the non-video I/O input signal from the selected pair of transmission lines and decodes the non-video input signal for transmission to the computing system. In still other aspects thereof, the encoding circuit of the first interface device places the non-video I/O output signal in a selected time interval of the combined signal while the encoding circuit of the second interface device transmits the non-video signal I/O input signal during the same time interval.
In still another embodiment, the present invention is of a computer which comprises a computing system located at a first location, a human interface located at a second location, remotely located relative to the first location, a first interface device coupled to the computing system, a second interface device coupled to a monitor and an I/O device of the human interface and a 4-wire cable coupling the first and second interface devices. An encoding circuit of the first interface device receives, from the computing system, plural video signals to be transmitted to the video monitor and a non-video output signal to be transmitted to the I/O devices. The encoding circuit combines the non-video signal with a selected one of the plural video signals to produce a combined signal and transmits the combined signal over a selected pair of the transmission lines of the 4-wire cable. A decoding circuit of the second interface device receives the combined signal from the first interface device and separates the combined signal into the video signal to be transmitted to the video monitor and the non-video signal to be transmitted to the I/O device.
In one aspect thereof, an encoding circuit of the second interface device receives a non-video input signal from the I/O device and encodes the received signal for output onto a selected pair of the transmission lines for transfer to the first interface device. In another aspect thereof, a decoding circuit of the first interface device receives the non-video I/O input signal from the selected pair of transmission lines and decodes the non-video input signal for transmission to the computing system. In still other aspects thereof, the encoding circuit of the first interface device places the non-video I/O output signal in a selected time interval of the combined signal while the encoding circuit of the second interface device transmits the non-video I/O input signal during the same time interval.
In another embodiment, the present invention is of a method of transmitting signals from a computing system which is positioned at a first location and a human interface which is positioned at a second location remotely located relative to said first location. In accordance with the method, a non-video signal and a selected one of plural video signals generated by the computing system are combined and the combined signal is transmitted to the human interface as the selected video signal. At the human interface, the selected video signal and the non-video signal are separated from the combined signal. The resultant video signal is transmitted to a video monitor forming part of the human interface while the non-video signal is transmitted to an I/O device forming part of the human interface.
In a preferred aspect thereof, the plural video signals include R, G, B, HSYNC and VSYNC signals and, in accordance with the preferred embodiment, the R and HSYNC video signals are combined to produce a first combined video signal, the B and VSYNC video signals are combined to produce a second combined video signal and the G video signal and the non-video signal are combined to produce a combined video/non-video signal. In another aspect thereof, the first combined video signal, the second combined video signal and the combined video/non-video signal are transmitted over a balanced 4-wire transmission system. In still another aspect thereof, the non-video and selected video signals are combined by inserting the non-video signal into a selected portion of the selected video signal which coincides with horizontal and vertical blanking pulse portions thereof.